Food with mood. Homemade. Delicious and easy to cook.

Menu

Braised Rabbit with red wine, prunes and thyme

I’m sure you know that Easter is on the way (Catholic falls on April 5 and Orthodox April 12), and you’re probably planning what to cook, or searching your notes with traditional recipes. I think some of you have a special main course recipe for this occasion, or may be it’s a wide range of recipes. What will you choose this year? An elegant dish or simple&casual? I think, with spring bringing nice and pretty weather, that you’re likely to be in the mood for something hearty and light! 🙂 I’ve always been partial to rabbit; when I’m visiting my parents in Russia I’m always pleased to eat a rabbit stewed in sour cream. It’s always tender and delicious, of course because it’s prepared by my mom. 😀 Today recipe is elegant and great for a special dinner! I’d like you to try rabbit with prunes and thyme, braised in red wine. It requires few ingredients to be transformed into a flavoursome meal! Enjoy!

Joint the rabbit, wash it and put in a large bowl, fully cover the meat with water, add vinegar if using, then cover with a wrap and leave to marinate for 1-3 hours. It helps to make rabbit meat more tender and get rid of any unpleasant smell.

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-bottom pan on a medium-high heat. Add the rabbit pieces and brown each side for 6-8 minutes or until golden colour. Take out the rabbit pieces and place aside. Don’t clean the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium, add onions, garlic, peppercorns (if using), juniper berries, bay leaf, some thyme leaves and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until onion have softened. Add rabbit, pour over wine and scrape up the bottom of the pan. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.

Fold in prunes and remaining thyme. Season to taste. The liquid should come half way up the rabbit pieces. So, add some water, if needed. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid (keep a small slit) and braise the rabbit for 45 minutes. Now turn the rabbit pieces on the other side, adjust the seasoning, again cover the pan with a lid and braise for further 40-45 minutes. The rabbit should be easily pulling off the bone.

Serve with sliced boiled/roasted potatoes, or rice. Add a tablespoon of sour creme, if desired.

38 thoughts on “Braised Rabbit with red wine, prunes and thyme”

I have not yet been brave enough to try rabbit, but this is just so tempting!! Amazing post….thanks!
I think you may like my new food site….http://www.sprinkledwithstyle.wordpress.com
(I’ve only just started, so won’t have many posts, but great bloggers like you have inspired me and I cant wait to get going!)

Thanks for stopped by! You may subscribe to my blog as well by clicking “follow”. 🙂 And it’s not very difficult to cook rabbit, you need to start! You can also substitute it with chicken; chicken and prunes are great together too! 🙂

Rabbit was the food of the poor when I was a child. Wild rabbits were in plague numbers and even the most unskilled hunter could bring home a bagful. I haven’t eaten rabbit for years, you’ve inspired me to change that! Thanks

Hi Daniel! Cooking rabbit in a low heat over a long period of time is one of the safest ideas for a perfect result. 🙂 You can also sear the meat before covering it in a wine, water or stock – for richness.
You can also immerse the meat into water with/without vinegar (as I did) or even into wine, it helps also to get rid of meat’s smell if there was any. Hope it will help you. 🙂

Wow this recipe looks so good. I had rabbit once in a restaurant but I never tried cooking with it. I bet that dish tastes delicious!
Thanks so much for your visit to my blog today Julie’s Lifestyle and leaving me those nice comments on my Easy Baked Chicken recipe that I shared and guested blogged at Sarah’s Kitchen!
Julie
Julie’s Lifestyle

Rabbit meat always reminds me of rabbit hunting field trips we went on when I was attending elementary school in Japan. We had rabbit stew at the end of the event. What you have done with it here is exquisite! Mila, you do have an exquisite blog!